Vice President Sara Duterte appealed to Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil on Monday to spare her from supposed political harassment and lies during his recent media interviews.
This is in relation to Marbil removing 75 cops from her security detail, as the PNP transferred them from Mindanao to Metro Manila.
In an open letter published on her Facebook page, Duterte denounced Marbil’s public statements, which she denounced as inconsistent and “deceptive”.
She clarified that the Vice President Protection Division (VPPD) assigned by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) was organized to give the second highest government official discretion over her security detail.
Duterte also stated that her security team was recalled by the PNP Police Security Protection Group without any advance notification, denying Marbil’s reported statement that a request from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) had been made.
“There was no request. The PSPG just informed the OVP that they will take the personnel. We no longer argued because you’re the law, right? After this, your Relief Order was released. This is based on a PNP document,” Duterte told Marbil.
The Vice President also pushed backs against attempts at invading her privacy, especially with the malicious publication of her video footage in NAIA and alleged profiling operations by the police in her home.
“Never mind if it was only me, but the publicized video also included my husband and minor children, which seriously threatened their security,” Duterte said.
She also found it suspicious that 38 out of the 75 personnel that was covered by the relief order were from Mindanao. They were transferred to the National Capital Region (NCR) “as if Mindanao does not have a shortage of policemen,” Duterte pointed out.
“Let us spare our people from all the lies. Let us call it what it is—a clear case of political harassment,” the Vice President said.
Duterte noted that the relief order came after she resigned from the Department of Education, after she compared the State of the Nation Address to a “catastrophic event,” and after a deepfake video of President Marcos surfaced on social media.
“Remember, when it comes to the security of my family, only I can say who are worthy—not you. You’re just the law, you’re not God,” she told Marbil. “If you can compromise my security, I worry about the kinds of harassment you can inflict on ordinary citizens.”
When asked for comment, the PNP said they will release statement when it’s ready. Duterte added in her letter that she expects Marbil to stop mentioning her name in his interviews and just focus on responding to Filipinos affected by recent calamities.
In a postscript, Duterte said she will be writing to Marbil for the 45 personnel he selected to stay as part of her security detail. “And always remember, to avoid spinning yarns, always tell the truth,” she ended her letter.
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